Bag of the Ball
by Omegathyst
Summary: Arabella was a Mimikyu born into the tradition of wearing a Pikachu bag at a certain age. However the Pokémon in her forest find Mimikyu ugly, including her. But the Pikachu Ball is coming up, an annual event that Arabella has fantasized about for years. And when she meets a young Pikachu, she is more determined than ever to go.


_Arabella was in a dream but_ _wanted_ _to believe_ _it_ _was real as she was_ _not_ _the most_ _despised_ _Pokémon in Eden Meadow, but_ _instead_ _the most beloved one: Pikachu._

 _She_ _liked having an actual pretty fur coat instead_ _of_ _putting a bag over her head_. _And she relished the feeling of having real paws that she placed on the grass and felt the grass._

 _Many Pokémon surrounded her in awe, some petting her and others blushing at_ _her_ _beauty._ _Finally she wasn't ugl-_

"Arabella!"

Arabella woke up looking through the Pikachu bag and gave a defeated sigh. She was woken up by her mother Terra.

 _Of course both my parents are Mimikyu, no one else would want to be with a Mimikyu anyway. Tsk._

"What Mom?" Arabella muttered.

"We have to contribute to setting up the Pikachu Ball." Terra told her daughter.

"Why? The only Pokémon that ever get to attend are Pikachu." Arabella huffed.

"True but we get paid in food for our hard work. And finding food this winter hasn't been easy." Terra explained.

"But all the _Pikachu_ have more than enough food in their snug and warm palace." Arabella growled.

"That's enough Arabella! We're lucky they even let us help and receive food at all. They're the dominant species in the Meadow after all." Terra snapped.

"Where's Dad?" Arabella asked.

"He's already over at the Pikachu Palace helping them." Terra answered. "Now remember dear, this will be your first year helping with the Pikachu Ball. Be kind and do whatever they say or they'll make sure our family starves this winter."

 _Why_ _do we submit to these relentless creatures?! Is it like this everywhere? With a dominant race dictating who lives happily and who doesn't?_

* * *

Arabella and her mother arrived at the tall golden palace that had a burrow as an entrance guarded by two Pikachu with knight head armor.

"We're here to assist the setting up of the Pikachu Ball." Terra explained bowing, she nudged her daughter and Arabella reluctantly bowed.

"Very well." The left guard Pikachu said. "Just stay out of the Prince's room."

The two guard Pikachu took several steps back and let Arabella and Terra enter the burrow where they saw the beautiful interior of the castle and a crystal table where several Pikachu were sloppily eating food off their gem-clad plates. Ahead of the kitchen was a long set of stairs that was shaped like a spiral and lead to different spots in the castle, with the stairs stopping at a dark brown door decorated with gems of different colors.

Arabella would never admit this to her Mom, but she secretly has wanted to go to the Pikachu Ball since the night she was a kit and saw the fireworks in the sky behind the Palace, an object that humans used before they went extinct long before she was born.

She still resented the Pikachu for keeping their foods and riches mostly to themselves like the pigs they were. But she wanted to spoil herself to those things...even if it was just for one night.

Arabella saw her father Eric taking the empty plates off the kitchen table with his shadowy claws and headed to the sink. Arabella noticed one of the Pikachu stick it's foot out in front of Eric and he tripped, sending broken plates everywhere.

 _"HEY!_ What did you trip my Dad for?!" Arabella spat angrily at the Pikachu who ignored her. She walked up to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Huh? Were you talking to me?" The Pikachu yawned. "Fine, just don't you touch me with your filthy claw again."

" _You tripped my_ _father_ _over!"_ Arabella repeated, sinking her claw further into the Pikachu's shoulder. The Pikachu moved his shoulder from her claw and started angrily sparking up with electricity preparing to use Thunderbolt.

"Laertes, that's enough!"

Laertes the Pikachu and Arabella looked up to see the brown door at the top of the stairs wide open with a male Pikachu with robes suited only for royalty standing on the first stairstep.

"But my lord, this disgusting peasant threatened me!" Laertes hissed towards Arabella.

"He knocked my father over!" Arabella retaliated. She noticed Terra helping Eric up and the Pikachu in robes narrowed his eyes at Laertes.

"Laertes I'm not stupid, you've bullied Pokémon who are so _kind a_ s to help us prepare for the most important time of the year before." The Pikachu in robes explained. "Clean up all those broken plates _now._ Mimikyu family, up here please."

Arabella's heart was racing even though she was pretty sure that they weren't in trouble. Perhaps it was that a royal Pikachu was calling them to him. The three Mimikyu walked up the stairs and the Pikachu stretched his paw out to Eric.

"Prince Nathaniel, but you can just call me Nathaniel." The Pikachu greeted him smiling. He shook Terra's paw and then Arabella with what seemed to be a twinkle in his eye. "Terra and Eric, go to the Chef and they'll tell you what to do next. Arabella...stay here a sec could you?"

Arabella's parents went down the stairs and into the kitchen by the time Nathaniel gave an awkward cough before talking to Arabella.

"Um...that was really brave what you did down there." Nathaniel explained. "Most Pokemon are too scared to speak for what is right because they think that Pikachu are always right. But _you_ spoke up for your father and I find that really cool."

 _Am I blushing_ _beneath_ _my Pikachu bag?!_

"T-thank you!" Arabella piped up. "What time does the Pikachu Ball start?"

"Tonight, one of the Pikachu guards will bring your share of food to your family after it starts." Nathaniel explained beaming.

 **Several hours later**

"They're going to have fireworks at the ball?!" Arabella gasped to her mother. "I thought those were only used by humans before they went extinct!"

"The Pikachu have started adopting a lot of human traditions. They do want the fanciest lifestyle after all." Eric added before he looked out their burrow. "That _sure_ is a lot of Pikachu going to the castle. They must've branched out to other territories."

Arabella groaned envious of the exciting event that was to come but only for _one_ Pokémon.

"I'm going to hang out at the Petunia Lake for a while." Arabella told her parents before leaving. She saw Laertes with his Pikachu mate as they smugly walked in the Pikachu Palace. Arabella walked even faster to the Petunia Lake.

At the Petunia Lake she could just stare at the full moon reflecting off of said lake while watching petals fly through the wind, mesmerized by the beauty of the quiet scene.

Fate had different plans for her.

Arabella saw a figure flying over the lake and it flew closer and closer till it stopped in front of her. It was the creator of the Pokémon world: Mary Mew.

"Mary Mew!" Arabella gasped. "Why are you here...? I'm dying aren't I-"

"Nononono, you're not dying." The legendary reassured her. "I came here because the Pikachu act like a high and mighty race and yet you seem to like one. This wasn't the first time you met him was it?"

"No." Arabella admitted. "Although I never knew him by any other name besides the Prince of the Pikachu Palace till today."

"You've always wanted to attend the Pikachu Ball and you want to get to know Nathaniel better, and I can let you do both!" Mary Mew flew towards the bottom of the Pikachu bag and touched Arabella's shadowy dark fur. Arabella squeaked and moved back as she felt a surge of transformation begin.

Arabella gasped as the Pikachu bag flew off of her and revealed a shadowy black creature almost shaped like a ball of fur with amber eyes. Arabella however disappeared in a ball of light and minutes later transformed into a real Pikachu.

"I...I can't believe it!" Arabella felt her now smooth and bright yellow fur with her paws. The fantasies of the Pikachu Ball suddenly felt possible and euphoria rushed through Arabella's body. "W-What do I do now?"

"Um...go to the Pikachu Ball? Duh!" Mary Mew giggled. "Two things before you go, you won't be a Pikachu for long. Only till the full moon starts falling to be replaced by the sun. And the last thing is I did this for you so the Pikachu can realize that Pokémon aren't the best based on their species, but who they are on the inside. They need to be more accepting, and that starts with _you."_

Mary Mew flew off into the night sky leaving behind a very nervous Arabella.

 _So that_ _means_ _I barely get enough_ _time_ _to enjoy the Ball_ _and_ _see Nathaniel!_

Arabella decided to run on all fours to the Pikachu Ball, which she knew was going to be tricky since she always walked on two feet. But she tried and clumsily arrived to the Pikachu Palace where Pikachu were still crowding the entrance entering the Ball.

The Pikachu Guards looked at Arabella for a brief second before one spoke up.

"What territory are you from?"

Arabella knew that she wouldn't get through by saying Eden Meadow because they must know every Pikachu here. She thought of some other territories before and finally thought of one that seemed fitting.

"Um...Rockruff Forest?" Arabella asked.

"Oh? Very well then, come in!" The Pikachu guard thought nothing of it and the two moved aside allowing Arabella inside.

Arabella blushed embarrassed as she noticed most of the Pikachu at the Ball were wearing extravagant outfits and/or expensive accessories. Yet she showed up bare...even though to be fair she didn't realize that she was going to show up at all.

"Hello."

 _Nathaniel!_

Arabella whirled around and accidentally bumped into Nathaniel and he held her paw to keep her from falling.

"You are...?"

"Oh...uh...my name is..." _Think of a different name!_ "Amy."

"Oh really?" Nathaniel's eyes lit up and he looked surprised for a moment before he smiled. "Could I see you in my room for a second?"

"Oh well I don't think-

"I just wanted to talk to you. Nothing more than that I promise." Nathaniel reassured Arabella. "C'mon before the others get suspicious."

Arabella followed the Prince hoping to get back to the Pikachu Ball so she could dance, eat fancy food, and most importantly find a way to have all Pokémon be equal.

Arabella was pleasantly surprised when she walked into Nathaniel's room and took in the decor and frames and the king sized bed with a silky blanket and many decorative pillows. She snapped out of her awe when she heard Nathaniel close the door.

"Okay, is that you Arabella?!" Nathaniel gasped in shock.

"Where did you get that from?!" Arabella also gasped. "M-my name is Amy and-"

"Your voice sounds the same and you acted like the Pikachu Ball was a foreign experience." Nathaniel explained before he lifted Arabella's arm and observed it. "But how did you do it? _Great Arceus are you a Ditto?!"_

"W-What?! No!" Arabella stammered. "A well-known Legendary gave me this appearance till the moon falls. I want to get back to the..."

 _What're you doing?! You like him don't you?...Yeah I do but I want to enjoy_ _the_ _Ball!_

"Okay." Nathaniel's smile disappeared.

"Is it okay if you join me?" Arabella asked with a small smile. Nathaniel grinned even bigger and took her paw and they trotted down the stairs. Arabella felt her heart race when she saw two Pikachu wearing extravagant outfits and a crown and tiara staring suspiciously at her and Nathaniel.

She forgot the moment when Nathaniel showed her the feast table and she began greedily stacking a few of everything on her plate when she felt many glares in her direction.

"Is she barely older than a pup? And what the hell is she doing with the Prince of Eden Meadow?" One Pikachu spat.

"I have no idea but she knows nothing about being a lady with manners!" Nathaniel turned around to the two gossiping Pikachu and shot them down with a glare of his own.

Arabella followed him to the table and they sat down. All the Pikachu at the table got out of their seats and bowed. Arabella noticed there were two big seats next to each other that were empty.

 _...Of course! The King and Queen! Oh great Arceus were they those two Pikachu? They must be!_

"Hello Prince Nathaniel!" One Pikachu greeted him with a smile. "Who is this? The lucky to-be Princess?"

"I'm Arabella from Rockruff Forest." Arabella stated the simple lie...or so she thought it was.

"Oh! I'm from Rockruff Forest too! How come I've never seen you around before?" The Pikachu asked.

"Uh...I don't usually leave my burrow." _At least that's not a lie._

"Hello son. Who is _this?"_

"Um...Arabella." Nathaniel stammered nervously as his parents began walking towards the table before he whispered in Arabella's ear. "Those are my parents King Tempestade and Queen Pozoia-"

"She should _already_ know who we are." Queen Pozoia hissed with hostility in her voice. "Unless this uneducated rat has been living under a rock her whole life."

Arabella saw Nathaniel tense and he was holding his anger as his parents sat down and ate tiny portions of food with a fork and knife. Arabella ate moderate portions off her big plate with her own paws and felt embarrassed looking away from the disgusted expression on the King and Queen's faces.

 _I will not_ _give_ _in to_ _their_ _fancy standards!_

As soon as a Butler Pokémon took all the empty plates a soft melody began to play and pairs of Pikachu got out of their seats and began dancing. Nathaniel reached his paw out to Arabella and as they walked to the dance floor she was thinking.

 _Does he feel sorry_ _for_ _me? Am I just_ _some_ _peasant in disguise_ _that_ _he's sympathizing with?_

All those thoughts disappeared when Nathaniel looked at her with bright eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Arabella asked.

"Not at all." Nathaniel whispered. "Y'know I've never been able to find some Pikachu to spend the rest of my life with...I think I might know why."

"Why's that?"

"Because she's not a Pikachu, I'm trying to say-"

Suddenly her body was surrounded by smoke and her heart dropped as she realized her transformation was over. This beautiful reality was no more and what made things even worse was she didn't have her Pikachu bag to hide in.

Arabella felt her Pikachu body transform back into the tiny black ball of fur with arms and yellow eyes in front of every Pikachu including the King and Queen.

"Oh my...son stay back! This disgusting creature is an imposter!" Queen Pozoia shrieked before her body lit up with electricity. "Don't worry, I'll obliterate this thing in no time."

" _Don't!"_ Nathaniel gasped covering Arabella. "She didn't do anything Mom! And-"

Arabella refused to hear anymore, she was humiliated by her exposed self and that Nathaniel and all the other Pikachu saw her. She ran from Nathaniel's side and pushed the doors open and frantically ran off into the night.

 _My Pikachu bag!_

Arabella ran farther away and caught the bag as it was floating in the air and put it back over her head. She gave a sigh of relief as the silence welcomed her again and leaned against a tree trunk behind her.

Then she heard Nathaniel calling out for her. And his parents and friends couldn't be far behind.

 _Why_ _do_ _I_ _keep_ _running_ _from_ _my problems?_

"Arabella! It's just me!" Nathaniel gasped. Arabella stopped from climbing up the tree and looked at Nathaniel as he came into view exhausted from running.

"How do you not know they're following you?" Arabella asked.

"Because I don't smell any of them nearby." Nathaniel answered. "What happened back there? I wouldn't have let her zap you y'know."

"I know, just leave please." Arabella sighed.

"Did you at least enjoy the Ball?" Nathaniel asked.

"Not as much as I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious and the decor was beautiful." Arabella stated. "But it seems like Pikachu are complete _monsters._ The whole world isn't enough for them and they take more and more and when things don't go their way they freak out."

"I'm leaving Eden Meadow." Arabella announced. "And I'll find another region that doesn't have Pikachu that rule with an iron paw. Tell my parents that."

"Can I come with you?" Nathaniel asked.

"Why? You're a Prince." Rejecting Nathaniel over and over again hurt, but Arabella couldn't let him pity her. "You saw how _ugly_ I really am and I can't believe you're still talking to me! Leave!"

"But I don't think you look ugly!" Nathaniel snapped. "I think you look beautiful, black fur and all! Arabella, I _hate_ being a Prince! Do you think I want my whole life decided for me? No, I want to leave. And even if you don't like me I still want to leave and I'd rather have someone to guide me than tough it out on my own...so please?"

"...okay. But I want to leave my Pikachu bag outside my family's burrow so they know that I left." Arabella decided.

Arabella took off the bag and placed it over the burrow where her parents were sleeping and sighed before turning back to Nathaniel.

"We better hurry." Nathaniel whispered. "There's bound to be patrols sending out for my rescue and your execution. Hop on."

Arabella hopped onto Nathaniel's back and he sprinted on all fours with great determination to leave the hellish land that was Eden Meadow.

 _But Mary Mew wanted me to show_ _them_ _to be more accepting...but we're running away. I hope she understands_ _that_ _this was for the best._

 **Several years later**

It was tough, but after traveling from desert to forest and through sea, they had found another region. It had no leader, just Pokémon that lived to hunt and survive. And they had fun being themselves.

Arabella leaned against Nathaniel and held his furry yellow paw in her shadowy black claws. She could hear the laughter of the region's pups and imagined her and Nathaniel's future children as they were mates now.

For the first few months of living in this new land Arabella felt guilty leaving Eden Meadow behind till Mary Mew visited her in a dream. She explained to Arabella how leaving _was_ what was supposed to happen and that the loss of the two was what brought the Pokémon together to execute the King and Queen and bring Equality to Eden Meadow once more.

She told Nathaniel, but they didn't plan on visiting Eden Meadow again just yet. After all they had countless days to spend with each other and the peaceful locals of their new home: Turquoise Beach.

Their burdens and responsibilities were tossed away. No Pokémon was better than the other, and they could love others of any kind.

Finally, Arabella and Nathaniel were at peace.


End file.
